Hello supporters! Please forgive the delay in bringing you this update. I've been a little under the weather. We were also waiting on the Island Company and the City to provide formal confirmation of a plan we wanted to share with you, but it appears they need some additional time to work out the details. While we wait for that, we'll bring you up to speed on what we know as of now. We have both good and bad news for you today.
ISLAND COMPANY
As you know, we dropped the petition along with your comments and suggestions at the Island Company and the City of Avalon on November 27, 2019. We asked for a reply from the Island Company on December 6 and again on December 11. We received their reply on December 13. Sadly, in this reply we learned that they have declined our request to continue showing movies in the theatre, opting instead to proceed with their plans to utilize the space for special/corporate events. The good news is that they are also considering proposals from others to utilize the space, at least one of which that would involve continuing movies in the theatre.
We spent the weekend discussing how best to proceed. At the forefront of our minds throughout this process has been the vital role that the theatre plays as one of the few opportunities for the community of Avalon to come together for entertainment and social interaction outside of a bar. We were/are very concerned that, although the Island Company's plans to utilize the theatre for special/corporate events might open the space for some to enjoy on some occasions, it would still operate to shut out the people who need it the most: Island families.
Knowing that we do not have the power to dictate to the Island Company what they can and cannot do with the theatre, we came up with what we felt was a fair final request to the Island Company and the City of Avalon: commit to hosting for the community a once-per-month free or low-cost family movie night in the Avalon theatre.
CITY OF AVALON
Early this month Avalon City Councilmember Hoefs reached out to our team to set up a time to meet. We met and we have been in very regular communication with him since that date. He has also been in regular communication with the Island Company and others in an effort to find a path forward that might serve all parties involved. We believe he shares our concerns and we have been very grateful to have his support in the past weeks. Over the weekend we discussed our final “ask” with Councilmember Hoefs and were pleased that he was in full agreement. We prepared and sent the following on Tuesday afternoon:
DECEMBER 17, 2019
Dear Mr. Herrel, Mayor Marshall, Mayor Pro-Tem MacGugan-Cassidy, Councilman Hoefs, Councilman Olsen, and Ms. Radde,
We are reaching out to all of you today in the hope that we can join all stakeholders and decision-makers in a single conversation regarding the Island Company's decision to discontinue showing movies at the Avalon Theatre on 12/31/19.
As you know, we represent the (as of this moment) 14,701 people who have signed a petition asking you to find a way to keep the theatre open and available for residents and visitors to enjoy. We posted this petition on November 9, 2019, and quite frankly we had no idea how deeply it would resonate with so many people. I trust you have all taken the opportunity to review this petition and to read at least some of the thousands of heartfelt comments that our supporters have added with their signatures.
We have been working on this matter for over five weeks now and as the Island Company's deadline draws closer, we are all the more motivated to find a path forward that is positive and can serve the interests of all involved. We believe that we have found it and we hope very much that you will agree.
At the outset, we would like to thank Randy Herrel, Mayor Marshall, Mayor Pro-Tem MacGugan-Cassidy, and especially Councilman Hoefs for your responsiveness and for the time you've given us during this process.
At this time the Island Company has declined our request that they continue regular operations at the theatre. We were saddened to receive this news. That said, we are all aware of the financial burden that the theatre represents for the company and we understand that it is entirely their prerogative to make decisions that they believe are in the best interests of their business. Nevertheless, we are absolutely devastated for the loss that this represents to the children and families of Avalon.
We are writing to all of you today to present you with our final "ask". We would like to ask the Island Company and the City of Avalon to commit to hosting for the community a once-per-month free or low-cost family movie night in the Avalon theatre. This regular event could be scheduled midweek or at some other time that is unlikely to interfere with other events and, as the Island Company will be maintaining the space for tours and other events, overhead costs will be minimal.
The details of this partnership can be worked out in the coming weeks. What we are asking of all of you here today is to commit to making it happen. This will provide the children and families of Avalon with a desperately needed avenue for wholesome entertainment and it is a low-pain/high-gain opportunity for all stakeholders and decision-makers to demonstrate their goodwill toward the community of Avalon.
We will be informing our petition supporters and the press of your decision at the end of business tomorrow, December 19, 2019. We thank you very sincerely again for your time and attention to this issue and we hope to hear from you soon with the good news that you have found a way to make this small concession to the families of Avalon.
As we were preparing this letter, Councilmember Hoefs presented to and secured an agreement from the Island Company to show a monthly movie in the theatre for Island families. Councilmember Hoefs announced this news during the 12/17/19 city council meeting. See his announcement at 19:24 here.
SUM-UP
We aren’t going anywhere just yet. As stated above, we await final written confirmation of the plan from the Island Company and the City of Avalon. We will share that with you as soon as we receive it. This has been a very long process filled with hundreds of emails, calls, meetings, and texts. We are very grateful to everyone involved in making this concession happen and we are so happy that there will still be opportunities to take our kids and grandkids to see a movie in our beloved theatre. We are also incredibly hopeful that the Island Company will pursue a future for the theatre that involves showing movies and serves Island visitors and residents alike in an inclusive way, as was intended by Mr. Wrigley all those years ago.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Some of you have asked how you can get in touch with us directly. Please feel free to contact us with questions/concerns/comments at: keeptheavalontheatreopen@gmail.com
In closing, we thought we'd share this cool video from 1978 that we came across today. I guess the more things change, the more they stay the same.